Autism is the most prevalent of a subset of disorders organized under the umbrella of pervasive developmental disorder (PDD). Autism is a serious developmental disorder characterized by profound deficits in language, communication, and socialization, resistance to learning, and displays of stereotypical behavior including perseveration. Known now as a spectrum disorder (ASD), it includes a myriad of behavioral, emotional, and physiological symptoms. Autism is a life-long developmental disorder affecting as many as 1 in 500 children. Recent studies have indicated that the prevalence is closer to 1 in 166 live births. The causes of this profound disorder are largely unknown. Recent research has uncovered pathology in the gastrointestinal tract of autistic children. The pathology is reported to extend from the esophagus to the colon.
Lactulose is presently used in the treatment of constipation and hepatic encephalopathy. The efficacy of lactulose in these conditions is based on its fermentation in the colon by certain bacteria and the increase of the biomass of these bacteria in the colon. The products of fermentation are mainly organic acids, such as lactic acid and small-chain fatty acids, which, by exerting a local osmotic effect in the colon, result in increased fecal bulk and stimulation of peristalsis. The higher doses used for hepatic encephalopathy lower the colonic pH, and ammonia, in the form of ammonium ions, is used by the bacteria for amino acid and protein synthesis. This lowers the serum ammonia levels and improves mental function.
Increased or high levels of ammonia in the blood stream can produce toxicity to the cells of the body especially to the cells of the nervous system. This neurotoxicity can alter brain function and cause other neurological diseases, including autism. Thus, decreasing the levels of ammonia in the blood would decrease the levels of ammonia in the brain thereby reducing the neurotoxic effects.
Certain drugs such as Augmentin® (amoxicillin+clavulanate potassium) have been known to leave an ammonia residue in the gastrointestinal tract. The increased levels of ear infections in children with autism and the use of Augmentin® to treat these and other infections makes the child vulnerable to the potential buildup of ammonia in the digestive system as well as the blood, thus leading to a potential neurotoxic state. By giving lactulose immediately following the administration of Augmentin® or other ammonia producing substances, the potential for a neurotoxic disease is reduced.
It can be appreciated that lactulose has been used for years as a treatment for constipation and hepatic encephalopathy. However, lactulose has not previously been used as a treatment for autism or autism prevention. Presently, there exists no other pharmaceutical or biological treatment for autism. Since there is no pharmaceutical or biological treatment for autism, other than psychotropic medications for symptoms, only behavioral and educational solutions have been offered. Behavioral treatments, such as applied behavioral analysis and TEACCH (Treatment and Education of Autistic and related Communication Handicapped Children) and others, have some value in the treatment of these children but do not address the physiological, specifically gastrointestinal, problems encountered by them.
What is needed, therefore, is a treatment for autism that works by preventing the build up of ammonia in the gastrointestinal tract, the bloodstream, and the nervous system.